Six Feet Under the Star
by Herm-Own-Ninny879
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke, the one all the girls want, the international rock star, Sexiest Rocker of the Year in Japan, and the youngest teenager to win a dozen music awards. AND...Haruno Sakura, me, the best friend on the sidelines. AU, SasuSaku, side NaruHina.
1. Called Back With Annoyance

**Six Feet Under the Star  
**

By Herm-Own-Ninny879

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. Or any songs used here in this story.

**Author's Note:** Holy crap, another extreme AU! I'm trying to keep Sasuke as canon as possible. OOC just gets to me sometimes, you know?

* * *

_**Chapter One:** Called Back with Annoyance_

_"Miss Haruno."_

Crap. I didn't like being called on in class. It was so annoying. I looked up from my manga novel, Loveless, and gave my teacher a reproachful look.

"Will you please put that book away? I mean, it's good to read, but we're supposed to be discussing Keyes, not Yun Kouga," Iruka-sensei sighed at me. I put my manga away under my desk and inside my binder. Grabbing Flowers for Algernon, my Katakana copy, I turned to a random chapter. Sensei shook his head.

"We're on Charlie's first entry," he said, giving me a withering look. I bit my lip and sunk down in my chair. This was the third time he had scolded me about reading a novel other that the required reading. "Oh, and Miss Haruno?"

Some of my classmates began sniggering. Oh, shit.

"Yes…sir?" I sighed.

"See me after class."

Shit…again. I nodded weakly and read the first page, and answered some questions. I had already read this book in the sixth grade. I didn't feel like reading it again; it was so depressing. Mentally challenged guy becomes smart, rat gets smart, rat dies and loses intelligence, and mentally-challenged-and-then-smart-guy loses his intelligence, the girl he loves, the rat, and finally his intelligence decreases. Ho-hum. Depressing, isn't it? Daniel Keyes was a good author, an American author (I like foreign authors), but this story was just so depressing. And I'd seen the movie as well, so this class bored me.

I looked around the room, 'spying' on my classmates. I saw Yamanaka Ino whispering something to Inuzuka Kiba. They were probably going to buy some illegal crack or something, by the looks of it. Nah. Maybe they were going to get some alcohol at Seven-Eleven after school using Kiba's fake I.D. What losers. Buying illegal drinks is ILLEGAL. Emphasis on the ILLEGAL part.

I took some extra notes from the story, just in case I forgot anything for the Unit Test. I jotted down, 'Intelligence regression,' and let my pencil fall quietly onto my open binder. Sensei told us to put our books away.

I folded my arms and listened to my sensei instruct our class on 'proper student conduct,' and rules for the upcoming project on our other unit, which covered Journalism. We were to interview someone important in the community who actually attended this school or attended somewhere in this district or community. The person we knew had to inspire us.

I already knew who I was going to interview. It was easy to get an 'appointment' with him, even though he was singing at the Tokyo Dome tonight.

I was going to interview Uchiha Sasuke, my best friend, and international rock-star.

Yes, friends, I am friends with him. We'd been friends since we were in kindergarten, really, and I had to clear up some rumors with people here at school. No one really knows I'm virtually so close to him, so they think I'm just a fan-girl who knows everything. How degrading.

To clear some things up with _you,_ the reader:

1. Uchiha Sasuke does not have a stripper girlfriend.

2. …he does NOT have a girlfriend. And for you extreme fans, he sadly isn't looking at the moment.

3. His manager isn't a porn star, yet he reads porn books. (Psh. Kakashi-san.)

4. He has never lip-synched in his entire life.

5. He's a cool, sweet guy who's loveable-yet-cold.

6. He DID win People Japan Magazine's 'Sexiest Teen Celebrities Award'. (Ranking as #1.)

7. His hair is naturally like a duck's ass. (This makes me laugh, because he calls it 'naturally wavy.')

8. No, he does not own a Mercedes. His father just won't let him get one, sadly.

9. NO, he is NOT as rich as Bill Gates, retards!

10. HE IS AN HONORS STUDENT, but he is now homeschooled by a private tutor due to the fact that he tours a lot.

11. No, he has NO nude photos on the internet, PERVERTS!

12. HE DOES NOT TAKE STEROIDS, and has never fought against a deadly disease.

Yes, all of the…uhm…twelve (?) above are very true, and confirmed by me. But some people just think he's the type that would want to put a girl in bed at the 'ripe old age' of seventeen. WHAT LOSERS! He would actually never do that. I know him personally.

But anyway, striding from the part of my world revolved around my best friend's career, Iruka-sensei explained all the rules once more, handing out instruction sheets. I read them. Same-old, same-old. The packet included a rubric, set of required questions to ask, and we had to create an article based on the person we interviewed. It really looked easy.

The bell rang, and I dashed out of my chair, hoping Iruka-sensei wouldn't remember talking to me after class, but sadly, as I hid behind Aburame Shino's huge coat, he noticed me.

"I see your pink hair, Sakura, so don't try to hide from me," he said sternly. I grumbled and sat in the chair closest to his desk.

"Sorry about class today, Sensei," I mumbled. Wow, that's a sappy 'sorry' right there.

"Its okay, Sakura. I just want you to know that you're a very bright young lady."

Here he goes again, with the 'brightness' discussion, and the questioning about my home life.

You see, I just live with my father. My mother left when I was twelve, so I've had five years to forget about her. But the thing is my dad has this alcohol problem. He's had it since my mother left. He always comes home late, bringing home these sluts from bars and stuff. I'm glad I have schoolwork to occupy myself.

Well, at least I don't suffer 'abuse.' Maybe verbal, but not physical, thank God. If it was physical, I'd be at a foster home or something. I actually thank Sasuke. He always keeps me one leg up.

"I know; you've told me," I said bluntly. Iruka-sensei sighed.

"And you seem more distracted than usual," he said. Well, I was, apparently. My father's latest girlfriend is the biggest…well, you know…around. And I'm waiting patiently to go see Sasuke's concert at the Tokyo Dome. Primo tickets.

I didn't tell sensei that. I didn't want to worry him.

"Well, I'm in Colour Guard and the volleyball team, you know."

"Oh, I see," he said. I bet he could see my lies right through my green eyes. "You can go."

"Thanks, sensei, and I have to tell you, Flowers for Algernon is quite depressing," I added, before leaving.

I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Iruka-sensei giving me an amused look.

--

I walked down the hallway, pushing some people (our school was small) out of the way, and they didn't seem to mind. Our school was always full of insensitive people. If Sasuke hadn't become all famous and rich, he would be attending this school instead of having a private tutor. But at least his attitude towards his hometown of Konoha didn't change. He was still the same 'ol Sasuke he was: quiet, intelligent, and…uhm…what's the word? Oh yeah, friendly. Friendly towards some people.

I walked up to my locker and threw my books into my book bag. At least it was the end of the day. Then I could regain my sanity enough to attend Sasuke's concert. Maybe we could get some food later on.

But then, I heard that VERY annoying voice. I've despised that voice since I met it in the second grade.

"Hey, Pinkster!" Yamanaka Ino called. I rolled my eyes and banged my head in my locker. I looked up at the blonde idiot and scowled. I always disliked her for some reason. Maybe it's the fact that she and her—what the hell—popular (?!) friends do many—ahem—illegal things.

"What do you want?" I groaned. Ino leaned against the locker next to mine, arms folded. I scowled at her.

"We're going to the Seven-Eleven. Wanna come?"

"And get caught drinking underage? Hell no," I retorted, scowling. Ino rolled her eyes and patted my shoulder, giving me a condescending look.

"It's not underage drinking, technically. Kiba has a fake I.D., so we can get drinks easily. He even looks twenty-one," she said, shrugging. I grimaced at her. She is SO stupid. Who the hell in their right mind would do that?

Oh. Never mind. Ino and her crew would. Psh. Retards. Retards on CRACK, more likely. "I'm still not going," I growled. I had enough with alcohol. I've seen my father deteriorate from the good man he was to a lowlife who enjoyed young women. "I'm not into that shit."

"Well then, you're shit," Ino spat, walking away. I looked down and slammed my locker door.

Bitch, I thought maliciously as she walked away, swaying her hips at boys. She's such a slut. I picked up my backpack and walked out of the school building alone, as I always did. I was happy as long as I didn't get drunk somewhere taking crack or something.

Now it was time to enter back into the hell-hole I call home.

--

I lived in the run-down part of town. There were old buildings that I liked to explore, since they were abandoned. My father and I lived in the apartment building nearest to the center of the neighborhood. It was kinda old, but I was fine with it. I liked the area even though it wasn't that nice, because it was a good place to read novels in the empty lot nearby.

I walked up the stairs and smelled the faint scent of cigarette smoke coming from Mr. Akashi's home on the second floor of the building. I crinkled my nose and walked all the way up to the fifth floor. I heard the sound of laughter coming from my apartment. Scowling, I opened the door and found my father sitting with this dark-haired lady he probably met at the small sake bar nearby.

"Sakura!" he shouted, "Go to your room!" he said in a slur. I rolled my eyes, pulled my shoes off by the front of the door and threw them into the shoe cabinet. I was going to go into my solitary confinement anyway. I walked straight past the kitchen like I always did and into my tiny bedroom. I threw my backpack into a corner and pushed the 'on' button of my computer. I turned on my desk lamp and grabbed my small boom box remote and snapped it on, and it played random songs that I downloaded from Limewire.

Well, mostly they were Sasuke songs. His songs would always cheer me up. Especially his latest hit, 'Be My Escape.' It made me smile, really.

He told me he wrote that song to explain his life before he became famous. He had a life kind-of like mine, but he lived in the old suburbs. He was the kid of a single parent too. He lived with his dad and his older brother, who's really cool, but Sasuke's sometimes embarrassed by him. It's pretty cute, actually.

I sighed, and heard my father and that lady talk about some weird things that weren't meant to be heard by my ears, or any teenager or kid's ears. I hugged my legs and looked at my photo stand. I only had a few pictures on there, since I never had a chance to buy batteries for my camera; it's ancient. I smiled and the only comforts in this whole house were the pictures I had. They were of me and Sasuke as little kids, and some of them were recent ones that we took a few weeks ago at Kyoto. I remembered that he flew me personally there.

"SAKURA!"

God, save me. My father was shouting again.

"WHAT?" I shouted back over the next song on the CD, this time 'Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody)' by Paramore.

"GET ME SOME MORE CIGS DOWN AT THE MACHINE!" he shouted, his voice scratchy. I rolled my eyes and looked at Sasuke's pale, fragile face. He was smiling slightly, small circles under his eyes. I stood next to him. I don't really know how to explain myself. Pink hair, green eyes, whatever.

"SAKURA!"

"I'LL GET YOUR FREAKING CIGS, WAIT!" I shouted back, but then, my MSN alerts popped up:

You have just received a message from Uchiha Sasuke.

"Crap," I muttered, and then I hesitated to leave, but then I knew my dad would come in and yell at me. I grabbed some change from my cup and walked out the door. I found my dad making out with the girl on the couch. I felt sorry for her. That little slut.

I walked to the machine down the hall and purchased a small pack and I walked back through the apartment door, threw the box at him, which incidentally hit his head (I knew I was going to be yelled at later), and slammed my door shut, getting ready for tonight. I'd check my e-mail later.

I put on a pair of jeans and put on my black-and-white checkered belt. I even put on my 'Speaking is NOT Communication' black-and-white-shirt (white text), and tied it a little bit in the corner. I tossed on my white jacket and laced on my low-topped Converse-All-Stars. I brushed up my long, straightened pink hair and put it in a messy bun and let my bangs fall over my eyes. Afterwards, I picked up the checkered backpack I got from Sasuke for Christmas and threw it over my shoulder.

I tiptoed out of my room, and I figured my dad was out with the girl or in the bedroom. Pig. I opened the front door and locked it. I ran out of the building as fast as I could. I shook off my annoying feelings and called a taxi using my AU cell-phone. The taxi came quickly, and I jumped in to catch the 5:00 train to Tokyo.

I quickly bought an adult ticket and waited at the platform. I sat down on one of the benches and all of a sudden, the announcer came on the speakers, and the train came zooming into the station. The door opened, and since it was rush hour, it was as if a billion people came out of it, nearly knocking me down.

I finally entered the train, and took a seat by an old guy who was snoring, and a teenage kid younger than me reading Weekly Shonen Jump. I pulled out my old MP3 and played some Paramore songs, and some of Sasuke's music. The kid looked over my shoulder and she squealed.

"Uchiha Sasuke?!" she said excitedly. I nodded, smiling. She gave me a look that said 'give me the headphones or die.' I rolled my eyes and smiled, and handed her an ear-bud. She began rocking out to 'Take You There.'

"Are you watching his concert tonight, lady?" she asked me. She looked thirteen years old. I nodded.

"Yeah, I am," I said, grinning. "Are you?" The girl nodded.

"Yup. I'm Kairi Kazuharu," she said, holding out her hand. She was a small girl for her age; it looked like it. She had hair that was cropped like a boy's cut, and had long bangs with glasses. She wore black jeans and a black t-shirt with Jack Skellington on it, and a white buttoned-down shirt that was open. She looked like she was copying Sasuke's style from several weeks ago at his photo-shoot in Nagoya.

"Haruno Sakura. How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Wow, you're pretty short for your age," I said, bemused. I thought she was younger.

"I know. I get that all the time. How old are you, twenty or something?"

Wow, a kid actually thought I was older than I actually looked. "No, I'm seventeen."

"Whoa, you're young," she said, laughing. I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you for the compliment, I think," I said, punching her slightly on the shoulder. She grinned and pointed at the ticker going through the ceiling of the train reading that our next stop was Tokyo.

"Where are you sitting?" she questioned me. "At the concert, I mean."

"I have VIP access; I know him personally," I whispered to her. Her eyes narrowed. I bet she thought I was lying to her. I never lied, actually, but only to my father. He never really cared.

"Yeah, right," she snorted. "You, know Uchiha Sasuke personally?"

I pulled out my cell-phone and opened the file folders. I finally found those pictures that we took together hanging out at Mos Burger. I handed it to her and her eyes widened. She was absolutely speechless.

"Whoa, him without stage makeup?" she exclaimed, laughing. Well…he looked even paler in public, thinner, and he always looked completely tired. There were reasons for that.

"Yeah," I mused. "He doesn't really like the makeup; he says it's too girly, so he doesn't really wear any in public like…let's say…Zac Efron does." I smirked, and she laughed brightly. She was such a cute little kid.

The train stopped, and we both started to cheer, making people stare at us with disgusted looks. We shrugged and walked off.

"Where are your parents?" I asked her. Kairi shrugged.

"I'm an orphan; I'm here on special reasons for the Shindo Orphanage," she explained. I felt an odd tinge of sadness for her, but she looked happy the way she was.

"Ah," I merely said as we turned a few blocks and finally reached the huge Tokyo Dome. A huge line was waiting outside to get in. I grabbed Kairi's wrist so she wouldn't get lost. "I'll ask if I can bring you inside with me to meet him."

"WHAT?" Kairi exclaimed through the cacophony that ensued once we entered the Dome's gates. They were playing Sasuke's latest song – his cover of 'More Than a Title' by A.J. Rafael. Some people were even screaming out the words. Sasuke had to sing this song with this other girl singer named Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata was also a big-shot singer in the Japanese music industry. There were even rumors that Sasuke was going out with her, but they were bashed after she started going out with Sasuke's best guy friend, Uzumaki Naruto.

I showed my pass to one of Sasuke's bodyguards, Nishi Katsuo. He immediately let me in once he saw me, but when he saw Kairi he was a bit wary, but I convinced him in the end.

"Whoa, that's THE Katsuo? I only saw him in pictures with Sasuke," she explained, excited and already breathless. We were glad we had gone through the back door of the stage. Katsuo led us up the backstage stairs, where we heard the staff test the microphones.

We finally arrived down the hallway where the performers always got ready. Kairi couldn't even breathe once we got up there; she was so pumped up to finally meet her favorite singer. At the end of the hallway was Sasuke's door. I fixed my bun and his door opened. A doctor stepped out. Figures. A quick check-up before the show…

I sighed and I knocked on the open door, and a boy with hair shaped like a chicken's ass turned around and smiled at me. He ran up to me and gave me a hug. Kairi was gaping at him with her mouth wide open. He was wearing his glasses, like he always did before the show.

He let go and sighed. "How are you? I've missed you quite a bit," he said in his normal, stoic voice. He looked over my shoulder and saw Kairi, and smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"And who is this young lady?"

"This is Kairi Kazuharu; I met her on the train, and she's a VERY big fan of yours," I explained. She stared at Sasuke as if he were some sort of apparition.

"H-HI!" she squealed. She ran up to him, and he laughed, giving her a hug.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

"I KNOW!" she exclaimed, but then she silenced and blushed. He smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you, Kairi," he said, kissing her forehead. She looked like she was going to fall over, so I caught her. You know, fan girl syndrome? I've never had it. Ha.

"You guys get very front-row seats," Sasuke explained. He called for Katsuo to call in. "Hey, Katsuo, can you take Kairi-chan to her chair in the front? I think we have another extra seat available in the VIP section."

I laughed as Kairi nearly fainted. Katsuo nodded, and Kairi walked with him, not taking her eyes off of Sasuke until she left the room. Now it was just me and him.

"So…" I began, "What did the doctor say?"

"Ah…" he began, sighing and sitting down in his chair, "He told me to take it easy, you know, so I won't hurt myself again."

"Don't over exert you tonight, Sasu-kun," I sighed. The downside of him being a rock-star was the fact that he was a bit sickly, but not seriously sick, thank God. But the other sad part was that he nearly fainted after a concert in Kyoto.

"I know, I know," he rolled his eyes and he gave me a smirk. "I'll be fine, Pinky, don't you worry," he said, laughing. He loosened his red-and-black checkered tie around his neck and fixed the dark fishnet-like gloves on his arms and the armbands. I saw that he was wearing dark jeans and black-and-white Converse All-Stars with red and black checkered laces.

"Nice outfit," I whistled. He laughed.

"Costume department," he said heavily, smiling. "They sure know what I like," he added, grinning. I gave him a hug.

"Put on some makeup. You're really pale right now," I whispered in his ear. He rolled his eyes and let go.

"Hey, I'm fine," he said. "No need to worry about me, I told you," he said warily. I sighed and nodded. There was no use in arguing with an Uchiha boy. I've seen Mr. Fugaku (Sasu-kun's dad) argue with Sasuke's brother, Itachi, way too many times to count over family matters.

His manager, Kakashi-san, ran to the door and nodded quickly, "Konbanwa, Sakura-chan! Sasuke, you have ten minutes, okay kiddo?"

Sasuke nodded and meddled with his wristbands even more, covering his wrists completely. He looked as if he were hiding something. I arched an eyebrow and shrugged. It was probably nerves again.

"Konbanwa, Kakashi-san!" I shouted as he quickly nodded and left. He probably went off to read his porn books before the show. He's a funny guy and he's sweet to Sasuke too, like a dad. He knows Sasuke's personal needs and everything, and when Sasuke-kun needs a doctor, he gets one. When Sasu gets hungry, Kakashi always takes him out for something good, especially on nights when I'm around. Kakashi-san has this odd feeling that I like Sasuke, or vice versa. Psh. Like that'll ever happen. We're JUST BEST FRIENDS.

"What're you doing?" I said curiously as he fussed with his wrists behind his back. He finally came down from Dream World, and shrugged.

"Just adjusting my wristbands," he said brightly. I raised an eyebrow and sighed, folding my arms.

"Sasuke…" I warned. He gave me a slightly pouty look. He pulled his wristbands again, and I got so annoyed. I grabbed his arm and pulled off his gloves. I stared at him with a hard, pained look.

On his right wrist were several, small cuts…or really, the scars of several, small cuts. I threw the gloves back at him, and he put them on hastily.

"What is your problem?" I hissed, shutting the door. Sasuke looked away, holding his right arm protectively.

"…I didn't mean to," he said bluntly.

"You didn't mean to?" I exclaimed. "How can that be a mistake?!"

You see…Sasuke had a teensy—well…not teensy—problem with depression. He's had a hard life, with his mother leaving his dad (like me), and his dad loved to waste all of his sons' money (Itachi's an author.) on stupid, worthless and expensive things. It usually caused fights in the Uchiha household, between Itachi and his father, and Sasuke would usually get dragged into these situations.

"Sakura," he said, taking my hand with his uncut wrist, "Please…don't tell anyone, especially not Kakashi-san, please," he pleaded. The eyeliner in his eyes stood out a little bit, making his eyes seem gaunt and tired.

I hesitated. This wasn't a good thing to keep as a secret. "Sasuke…"

"Please," he begged. I sighed. I knew that my temper wouldn't stop him from silencing me.

"Okay…" I said subtly. "How many times have you done this?" I whispered.

"A…a few times…" he mumbled. I closed my eyes and sighed. He looked so helpless.

"Please…Sasuke. If this continues, I'm going to report it to Kakashi-san," I said sternly. He nodded and hugged me. I hugged him back reluctantly.

"Thanks, Saku," he muttered, parting. He checked his watch and his eyes widened. "SHIT! I've got to get on stage!" he dashed past me, but he said 'see you later,' and I sighed, and walked out into the loud, shouting crowd, and sat in my seat next to Kairi.

Sasuke had everything: the money, the fame, the fan-girls, and the music…but one thing he didn't really have in his life was love.

* * *

**End Note: **Whoo! This was like, almost ten pages! I almost have chapter two done, by the way. I suck at updating sometimes, so if you have to wait...I'm sorry. I hope you liked it!

Please leave a review x3. I have a goal to reach 1000. Haha. I'm so lame. xD.

And I'll love you forever!!


	2. Afterwards

(Inserts six billion swear words here) Damn it, I'm sorry about the confusion last night with the She's the One chapter posted as chapter two...as you can see, I got in trouble last night for sleeping to late (I have school today)...ehh...so I was in a complete rush to post. I'm so SORRY!!

Well...back to the regular author's note. (Again, I'm so sorry...):) Does Kairi seem too Mary Sue like? I hope not...haha. I started this story back in March when I was in the middle of She's the One. I got really excited about it, and I couldn't wait to post it. But then I forgot about it a few weeks later, then I found it again...xD. So I decided to continue it. I'm on chapter four on Word right now.

Sasuke's look in Chapter 1 was inspired by Fighting Dreamers Pro's (the best cosplay group ever) New Year's Punk Photo Shoot. UchihaYuna's an awesome Sasuke. Haha.

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

-insert unwanted disclaimer that should burn in hell here-

* * *

_**Chapter Two:** Afterwards_

As per usual, Sasuke's concert was one-hundred-and-one percent magical. Of course, it included the rants of cheerful, cheerleading fan-girls, wannabe Goths, and too many other stereotypical groups to name in the audience. Kairi almost fell over in her seat when the concert began, and Sasuke was jamming on with his guitar and his band was playing the drum set, the bass, and everything else you could find in a Rockband PS2 game and more. I videotaped it, of course, as I always did, and as I put my camera away, the huge crowd began to decrease in size every few minutes once it finished. Now, only I, Kairi, the sound crew, Sasuke's street team, the Tokyo Dome guards, some reporters, and most of all, Sasuke's dad and brother were left in the whole entire stadium.

It felt like hours until Sasuke stepped down from the stage, drinking Crystal Geyser Water,—in a bottle—tired and sweaty.

"You okay?" I laughed, patting his back. He nodded fervently.

"If that wasn't getting high, I don't know what it was," he laughed. Kairi giggled. He smiled at her brightly.

"You enjoyed?" He questioned. Kairi nodded quickly.

"It was so amazing, THANK YOU!" she hugged him around the waist. He ruffled her hair and gave her a hug back. She let go, winked at me, and set off down the aisles, probably to take a quest around the dome. Maybe Sasuke would ask someone to bring her back to the orphanage so she wouldn't have to take the train on the way home. It was usually dangerous if you weren't with an adult late at night. I usually went through that every single day when Sasuke had local concerts before he became 'famous,' so to speak. I was almost pick-pocketed once, which wasn't a pretty sight. Good thing my mother let me take karate lessons when I was four. They really did help. I thought the guy was a pervert at first, though.

"So..."

Awkward silence. Usually not nice.

"Tell me how you feel now," I snapped. Sasuke glared at me with a pouty, flushed expression. I knew he didn't want to tell me anything about his wrists and his personal life at the moment. But I had to know, for his sake, and practically the sake of our friendship. You know, friends should help each other no matter what.

"Why should I?" he grumbled. Mister Grumpykins. I sighed and rolled my jade eyes.

"Because, if you don't say anything, your brother's right there, I can tell him—"

"No, no, no!" Sasuke complained grumpily. "Don't tell anyone, especially Kakashi or Itachi. It'll make my life a living hell, and my dad might try to sell the story..." he said incoherently.

"Bullshit," I snapped. He shot his eyes up at me.

"Don't be overprotective, Sakura," Sasuke said angrily. His voice was somewhat raised, and his eyes flashed menacingly towards my own. I shuddered; that look always gave me the shivers. It wasn't really pretty. It was as if they were flashing red.

He closed his eyes shut, and looked down. He was shaking somewhat...it scared me.

"I...I'm sorry, Saku," he said weakly. I put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't," I said. "I'm sorry for trying to butt in. I know it's your life..."

I only meant half-heartedly of what I said.

"Saku...sometimes...I just can't take it, you know?"

Mmhhm...

I hated to see him like this. The last time he was this down was when his mother left, and it all built up every time his father and brother dragged him into horrible arguments that usually ended up in a slap to the face for either one of the Uchiha brothers, as Sasuke had explained to me before. I wanted to hug him tightly like a teddy-bear, but I knew that he wouldn't allow me to. Well, not in front of his father, at least...

"I know," I finally said, sighing. "But Sasuke, you shouldn't be like this—well—" I tried to fix my wording, my voice spilling out of my mouth in broken words and letters. Sasuke gave me an unconvincing, weak smile. I decided to pretend I didn't see it.

"I'll tell you over some dinner," he said nonchalantly. He gazed at me with his dark, obsidian eyes and ruffled my h air. "Thanks, Saku."

"No problem. Now get changing," I laughed. I patted his back, and he walked slowly back to his dressing room.

"I'm taking you to McDonalds!" he shouted jokingly over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes and sighed, falling back into the chair, my hands over my face.

Tonight was going to be a woozy one.

--

Riding in the car wasn't all that awkward. We ended up bringing Kairi with us, after she had bought a new t-shirt that read 'Be My Escape.' She had it tucked under her arm as we rolled into the deep, black and shiny limo-like-car-thing-that-I-forgot-was-called. Sasuke seemed to like her. Heck, she was a cool kid, much better than the brats I dealt with back at school in Konoha City. She had a great taste in music, too. I AM NOT SAYING ANYTHING.

"So which orphanage do you live in?" Sasuke questioned, leaning back in his chair comfortably. Kairi shrugged and responded.

"The Shindo Orphanage, right by Konoha City, you know," she said, messing with the tiny television and DVD player in the car.

"So how old are you, kid?" he asked.

"Fifteen."

"Ah," he said, smiling. Kairi looked completely comfortable—no more fainting fan girl spells—around him once they started talking properly.

"So how long do you think you're going to be in the music business?" she asked, looking at him brightly. Sasuke nodded approvingly.

"You ask good questions, Kairi-chan," he laughed, putting his head on his chin, a common habit of his. "And to answer your question...I don't know, really. I mean, no one really knows. The Beatles as a group were only together for eight years, some of them died, and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still singing I believe," he laughed, "...so who knows?"

"True," Kairi said, leaning back. "Sakura?" she questioned. I snapped out of my random stupor and raised my eyebrows knowingly, "Do you sing or play any musical instruments?" Oh God, I despised it when people asked me that; it always brought up my shy side, the side I've never revealed to anyone but Sasuke. When it came to performing for people, I was doomed to fail miserably. I've convinced myself that I suck at singing and playing musical instruments. It didn't seem like me. Sasuke always said I was good, but I never believed him. I'm a listener, not a player. Thank Kami-sama for MP3 players and the recording business.

"No," I said automatically. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Psh, yeah right," he snorted. "She's amazing, Kairi-chan; don't listen to her."

"Right-o," Kairi whistled. "Now, is she good?"

She now averted her gaze towards Sasuke.

"Amazing," he said loudly.

"Oh yes, truly," I said with hints of heavy sarcasm. "Shut up."

"What songs can she play?"

"A large variety by ear," he said as I tried to drown out their talking. Damn it, Sasuke, why won't you just shut UP?!

"Oooh," Kairi said in awe. I stared at my best friend, dumbstruck.

Kami-sama save me now, I thought miserably. "Will you please just shut up?" I groaned in protest.

"No," Sasuke said, giving me that sly, flirtatious smile he usually gave one or two people in his lifetime...Yes, the cute one.

CRAP. What did I just say? Well thank Kami for personal space and individual minds. Otherwise, Sasuke would be able to read my inmost thoughts. They leak like BLOOD.

. . .

"I'd say this would be a dot, dot, dot moment," Kairi said after an awkward, sudden period of pure silence minus the roar of the car engine as we halted to a stop in front of McDonalds. Yes, Sasuke wasn't kidding when he said he'd take us to McDonalds. Oh boy. He probably came for the tomatoes in the hamburgers or something. At least he has a clean complexion! No wonder he loves those little red balls with tiny green hats. They're fun to throw like in that one Linkin Park music video—what was it called? Oh yeah, 'Breaking the Habit.' It was a slightly depressing song, I remember. And the video did no good for my self-esteem at all. But overall, the anime-like-Japanese-y graphics were cool. Damn it, I'm rambling now.

"Mmhhm," Sasuke hummed, opening the door to the car as we came to a stop. He walked out, and Kairi followed, and I came out last. Katsuo came out of another car behind us. That dude never leaves Sasuke alone unless Sasuke makes him, but it was liberty time, and we all just wanted to chill, and get away from all the excitement of being on stage.

We walked out of the parking lot and into the McDonalds door, where we were automatically attacked by young pre-teens. Mildly disturbing, and Sasuke didn't like getting attacked.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down," he laughed. Some parents pulled out their cameras and started to snap pictures. Sasuke smiled and posed with the girls, who all did peace-signs and crap like that. Kairi and I sighed and leaned by the door. Katsuo stayed close by, but out of the picture as usual. The picture Kairi told me about Katsuo was a very rare candid photo in a magazine. I was practically used to the fan girls. They were practically everywhere Sasuke was. Except for the BATHROOM. That would be mildly disturbing.

"Arigato gozaimasu!" they all squealed, and they ran off with their parents out the door. Finally, we had the restaurant to ourselves but two middle-aged guys smoking in a far-off corner. One of them looked oddly suspicious, eyeing Sasuke freakily. But my friend didn't seem to notice as he ordered a hamburger and an apple pie. Odd...

Kairi wanted a Kid's Meal for some reason, so I was about to pull my money out to buy it for her, but Sasuke insisted to pay once again. I didn't like that sometimes, because I felt like I was poor to the ground. And I felt like I was cheating my best friend out of money, but Sasuke didn't seem to mind as usual.

"Where are we going to sit?" I asked, looking around for a table away from the two old people. Sasuke shrugged in an 'I don't care' sort of fashion. I looked back uneasily at the corner, and one of the men was still glaring towards our general direction. Katsuo seemed to notice too, since he tapped Sasuke on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow upward, his other common habit, and shrugged. I could hear him whisper back: "Don't worry, Katsuo, we'll be fine. Can you wait outside?"

Katsuo gave him a worried look. "Sasuke-kun..."

"We're going to be fine," Sasuke whispered back quickly in a reassuring tone.

Katsuo folded his arms and gave his VIP a hard look. Sasuke rolled his obsidian eyes and glared right back.

"Fine. If I see any suspicious movement or anything bad, I'm coming back in," Katsuo hissed. Sasuke shrugged, and Katsuo unwillingly and slowly walked out of the McDonalds, waiting right outside the door. Sasuke, you IDIOT! Ugh...if anything happens to him or Kairi, I'm going to DIE, I swear, I'm going to die.

We took our seats by the window, thankfully far away from the suspicious-looking odd people. We began to eat in silence, to not draw attention to ourselves. Kairi began playing with the One Piece toy she had gotten—a little fake kaleidoscope-looking thing. It was supposed to be a spyglass. I smirked and chewed on a French fry idly.

"Uchiha-san?" a voice shouted from the counter, holding up a drink. Sasuke shot up and looked there.

"Shit, I forgot," he laughed, and walked over there. I looked at him as he walked, and as he took his cup and thanked the cashier, who wanted to take a picture with him—and one of the men in the far corner stood up. Shit...what's going on...?

"San, ni, ichi!" the cashier and Sasuke said at the same time, and they smiled and took their picture on her DoCoMo phone. "Thank you so much!" she squealed. Sasuke smiled at her and gave her a quick hug.

The man was walking slowly towards Sasuke, taking something out of his pocket—

I stood up quickly, my chair clattering to the floor. The man pointed a small gun at me, and I froze. Sasuke spun around to face me, and then he found the gun right in front of his face.

"Sa...su..." I gulped. Kairi looked perfectly calm, and crawled down on the floor, her small frame good enough for hiding.

The other man got up, and he locked the automatic doors as Katsuo tried to get in.

I tried not to move an inch, but my eyes couldn't help but dart towards Kairi, who rolled across the floor stealthily. The gunman pointed his gun towards her, shot, but missed.

I clapped my hands to my mouth, trying to suppress a scream. Sasuke closed his eyes, and took a deep breath; obviously calm. The gunman put the weapon right at his head, so close that the metal touched Sasuke's skull. Sasuke nearly shuddered from the coldness, but he hid it. I knew those guys in the corner were suspicious...

"Call the cops, and Mister Rock Star is dead before you know it!" the one by the door shouted. Katsuo shuddered, and glared, banging on the glass.

"SASUKE!"

"Calm down, Katsuo-san," Sasuke merely said, smiling, his arms folded. Katsuo didn't seem to hear him.

"Sasuke-kun..." I whispered. My best friend was officially mental, I swear, he was completely mental.

"Sakura, you too," he said freely, looking sideways at the gunman.

"Shut up, Uchiha," he snapped, poking Sasuke with the gun, hard. Sasuke winced a little.

"Mmm, that hurt," Sasuke mused, trying to get rid of the pain in his tone.

"Sasuke...please..."

"Sakura."

"Shut up!"

We both silenced.

I couldn't see where Kairi was...

"Now, I'm going to call your daddy and your porn-addicted manager, and see if I could make a little wager with them," the man said, reaching into Sasuke's pockets. Sasuke showed no sign of movement, and let the man grab his cell phone.

I took a good look at him. He was a small-like, short and grubby man with dark brown, matted hair and some stubble on his chin. He looked clean enough; maybe he was one of those people who stole for their cleanliness. Those bastards.

"Fine with me," Sasuke said simply, sighing boredly.

"Where's your fucking phone book?" he snapped. Sasuke rolled his eyes, took the cell phone and dialed a number at super-speed. I guess he got it from texting me and Kakashi too much. He handed it to the guy, and as a voice started talking, the lowlife cut the other line off, "I have Uchiha Sasuke, your 'son,' captured here at a McDonalds here, a few blocks away from the Tokyo Dome. I'm demanding ¥10,000,000 for his safety. If you don't get here by one o'clock AM, he's dead. No police, just the money, got it?"

I heard a frantic voice on the other line, and the grimy man laughed, "Whatever, Mister Uchiha."

Sasuke smiled smugly, eyes closed.

I cocked an eyebrow up.

The man hung up the phone and threw it to the ground and crushed it with his foot. Sasuke shrugged.

"No problem."

I stared at him in horror. This wasn't going very well...I didn't know why Sasuke was so calm through all of this; it freaked the hell out of me. I didn't know he was so weird...

Katsuo tried not to give up. He stared angrily at the man by the door, as if his eyes could melt the glass. I knew it was hopeless.

"You are one weird kid," the gunman growled, pushing the gun deeper into Sasuke's head. Sasuke merely flinched, and straightened.

"You're one to talk," Sasuke grimaced, spitting at the dude's feet. The gunman whacked his head, and Sasuke nearly collapsed, and the lady at the register held back a scream.

My best friend held onto one of the chairs for support. He twitched a little bit and grimaced deeply.

"One more smart-talk from yo' mouth, and you are dead, money or NOT!" the grimy dude screamed.

Kairi was sneaking out from behind a table, and Sasuke caught her eye through the little separator from the non-smoking area and the smoking area. She winked, and he gave her a weak smile, a little blood trickling down from his head. I shuddered. The sight of blood scared the living shit out of me.

As the gunman headed towards Sasuke's limp-like form, Kairi rolled under him, grabbed his legs, and pulled him down.

"DAMN YOU!" he shouted, and Kairi dodged the gunshots.

"Crap," I heard her mutter. I ran towards Sasuke as the guy aimed at Kairi.

"You okay?!" I said frantically. Sasuke gave me a weak smile.

"Mmhmm," he said quietly. "Get Kairi out of here!"

"I know, I'm thinking of a way!" I hissed. I noticed the little trickle of blood, and I shuddered. I shakily brought my hand to his head and pressed it, and he winced.

"Ouch," he laughed shakily. "That kinda hurt, you know."

"Sorry...just checking," I whimpered, quickly wiping the blood off with a nearby napkin. I turned back, and Kairi was pinned into a corner.

"SAKURA!" she screamed. I left Sasuke, which I later found out was stupid, and dashed over to Kairi. The gunman had her arms pinned behind her back, the gun to her head.

"Scream or move, and the kid'll die as well," said man growled.

"Get the fuck off of her!" I said shakily, my eyes brimming with tears. I felt like I couldn't do anything at all...

"Oh...?" he said, playing with Kairi's hair.

"I said get the fuck off of her."

I didn't know what drove me to say it twice, but the second time my voice was hard, cold, and strict. He scowled at me, dropped Kairi, who fell, sliding against the wall, hugging her legs. The gunman advanced towards me, and I stepped back, and tripped on a table leg. I grimaced at the sudden shock of pain twisting up my ankle, and shielded my face with my arms, just to try and stop the impact from causing me...eh...too much pain, which I thought was stupid. Damn it!! I let the tears fall down my face, and as the gunman pointed his pistol at me—

Bang.

"TOKYO POLICE, PUT 'EM UP!"

I snapped open my eyes, and felt a cold liquid in my hands. I shook madly, and found Sasuke next to me, clutching his shoulder in pain, giving me a forced, quick smile.

"You little bastard, you gave me the Po-po's number!" the gunman growled, picking Sasuke up by his tie. Sasuke was losing air fast.

I forced myself up, and pushed the man into a table, and he fell over. Sasuke crumpled to the floor. The other man at the door was apprehended by policemen already, and the popular author, Uchiha Itachi, ran in, up to his younger brother and me. "Sasuke—" Itachi said in a quick, worried tone as I handed my friend gently over to his brother. Sasuke was breathing scarcely, and was smiling awkwardly.

"Nii-san...?" he breathed, and fell into unconsciousness. An alarmed look wove the elder Uchiha's face.

"Sasuke!" he said frantically. I put my ear to Sasuke's chest, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"He's okay," I stuttered. Itachi pulled me into a hug as the police grabbed the two men, and handcuffed them tightly. Another policeman ran up to us, followed by two stretchers, and a wheelchair for me, seeing as I couldn't get up. One of the paramedics carried Kairi onto one, and she was as white as a ghost. Sasuke was worst off. He was shuddering slightly, and his eyes were screwed up in pain. Itachi stood next to me as they helped me into the wheelchair. My ankle was burning a little bit. I think I broke it. It was quite a hard fall.

"Sakura..." he sighed, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Itachi..." I whispered pathetically. Tears were already brimming in my eyes as they wheeled me to the ambulance. He gave me a sad look.

Itachi walked right into Sasuke's ambulance and they drove off immediately. Kairi's left next, and I followed. Katsuo looked horribly defeated as he drove in his Honda Civic, following Sasuke's ambulance with at least three police cars.

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, telling me it was my fault.

Damn life.

* * *

Ending Note: So, was Kairi too Mary-Sueish? I hope not O.o. But I hope you loved this story. SASUKE DOES NOT DIE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! Okay? Got it? Kapeesh? Good.

Rawr, I felt like crap last night when I found out on my PSP's internet that I posted the wrong chapter, and FanFiction wouldn't log me in because of the stupid captcha thing not loading up, but no worries now! I've posted the CORRECT chapter! I hope I didn't drive people away...):

I love you all! Please leave a review x3.


	3. Damn Emotions

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. Or the songs used. Ha.

* * *

_Chapter Three: Damn Emotions_

"He's lost a blood, but we have him under an IV and an oxygen mask," the doctor said, sighing as he flipped through his clipboard. Itachi nodded, looking even more stressed than he usually did. I was put in a small leg brace, and now I sat in a chair, my newly administered crutches leaning on the seat next to me.

"Arigato," Itachi said bluntly, and the doctor nodded sympathetically and left us alone here in the Waiting Room. He fell into a chair and rubbed his temple, tense, with his two index fingers and his thumbs. I tried not to make eye contact with him at all. It would make me feel painful somehow, much more painful in my heart than in my ankle. But then, he poked my shoulder gently, and I shot up immediately, and he smiled sadly at me with his perfectly sculpted, slightly aged face with obsidian eyes that had little flecks of red in them. I closed my eyes and they started to brim with tears again. I hated my emotions and female hormones. They always got the best of me in bad situations.

"You alright?"

To me, the statement seemed like a stupid question.

"Not really," I sighed, leaning back in the chair, my eyes closed. Itachi sat up a little straighter and faced me by turning around a little in his chair.

"Sakura, if you're blaming yourself, it's not your fault. You, Sasuke, or that young girl didn't even know this was going to happen," he said sternly. I stared back at him, my jade eyes glossy with wetness. I suddenly threw my arms over the elder Uchiha, which surprised him, and he tensed a little, but when I started crying, he softened, and hugged me back protectively. He was like my older brother too. I felt comfortable when I hugged him.

"But...I just feel like I wasn't hurt enough. Sasuke didn't deserve that," I said helplessly, letting go. "Like...he doesn't deserve any more pain."

The last sentence just slipped out of my mouth, and Itachi closed his eyes and stiffened. The age lines on his face seemed more prominent. He let go slightly.

"He's cutting again, isn't he?" he said in a small, cold voice. I bit my lip, trying not to say anything. My eyes darted away from him, and I let go of him completely, messing with my fingers. Itachi glared at me, and I could feel the ice of his stare on my shoulder. "Sakura, tell me the truth. He's cutting again, isn't he?"

The second time he said it stung me like a bee. I sighed, closed my eyes and shuddered slightly.

"Yes."

"Damn it..." Itachi swore, cracking his knuckles audibly; the nurse turned her head at the front desk. I raised my eyebrows in a worried look.

"Itachi-san, please, I told him I wouldn't tell you—"

"—Sakura, this is serious! He's my baby brother!" Itachi growled, standing up. I grabbed his arm helplessly.

"I know, Itachi, but please..."

He gave me a withering look. "Look, if you can stop him, I won't say a word, alright, Saku-chan?"

"Hai," I whispered; my voice cracking as he sat back down. The door to the hospital was barricaded by Katsuo and some police forces, since a shitload of reporters were trying to gain entrance into the building to get the news on Sasuke. Damn retards...I don't even know why the press was born. They just spread lies and gossip to practically the whole entire world, albeit the fact that I'm Sasuke's friend. That was the only thing I wanted to keep secret to avoid friends under false pretense. Itachi put his hands under his chin and closed his eyelids, probably in deep thought.

"Sakura," Itachi exhaled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said bluntly, picking up a random magazine. The cover read Teen Vogue...it was that stupid American magazine that promoted fascism for those who weren't fashionable. I definitely wasn't one of those model-like people, with the perfect makeup to match their skin tones and the colorful eye-shadow and Victoria's Secret underwear. It was just too much, and I bet my pink hair wouldn't allow me to get into that business anyway. Kinda retarded, actually.

"Uchiha-san?" a nurse called warily, "Haruno-chan?"

Her small voice made me jump, and I shot up immediately, forgetting I had to use my crutches, and I nearly crumpled to the ground before Itachi caught me at lightning-speed. I shuddered and rasped out a quick 'thank you,' and stood there, in front of the white-clad nurse with my best friend's older brother. "Hai?" I said warily, adjusting the crutches' sizes.

"You may see Sasuke-kun now," she said, checking her clipboard. Itachi nodded curtly. "Room D234, fourth floor," she added, before Itachi and I could ever ask. Helping me a little bit, me and the elder Uchiha brother walked silently down the hallway, having what Kairi would call a 'dot, dot, dot' moment. It felt awkward as we entered the elevator, and I felt slightly claustrophobic as Itachi pressed the button to bring us upstairs. Again, the silence crept upon us as we arrived on the D-Floor, the private rooms' floor of the Tokyo Hospital. Since it was nearly four in the morning—I was supposed to wake up in exactly four hours—it was dead silent, and half the hallways were pitch-black dark.

I gulped as we headed down the hallway that read D220-240, and each door was either labeled or had a fresh board ready for a new resident. When we finally reached the 30s section, we found Sasuke's door, with the letters in fresh Hiragana and Katakana, Uchiha Sasuke, written neatly on the door. Itachi knocked gently, and a very faint voice—I had to strain my ears—mumbled, "Come in."

Ita-san opened the door, and I nearly dropped my crutches again. Sasuke was in his all-black pajamas, and I could notice the bandages on the open part of his buttoned-down long-sleeved shirt tracing up to the bottom of his neck, and up to his wrist. He had a bandage around his forehead, probably for the whacks on the head the dumbass gunman gave him. He was attached to an I.V. and had a nasal cannula in his nose, probably to give him oxygen for shock. Earlier, the paramedics said his heart was beating faster than normal after he got shot in the shoulder, by his chest.

"Sa...kura...?" he whispered, looking over at me. I felt the tears brimming in my eyelids, and I hurried carefully over and I threw my arms over him, and he groaned audibly. I backed up and wiped the droplets, mumbling a quick 'sorry...'

I sat on the chair next to his bed, and I patted his head gently. "Y-You alright?" I whispered. He gave me a very weak smile.

"I've been better," he stated nonchalantly, "I hurt like hell, Saku..." he said in an undertone, giving me a soft grimace. I stroked his hair—in a friendly way—and he closed his eyes weakly, but he was still apparently awake.

"I'm sorry," I choked, hating to see him like this. He cracked open an eyelid and smirked the famous Uchiha smirk I loved from him. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke..."

"For...what...?" he said, taking soft, heavy breaths. His dull, tired eyes gazed at me with wonder.

For what? Oh, I know many reasons why I should be sorry. First, I was a fucking coward, not even brave enough to stand up to the gunman. Second, I watched you get shot. Third, Kairi had the scare of a lifetime, and I just met her. Fourth, I got hurt trying to defend you two. Fifth, I was a worthless crybaby. Sixth...I didn't press you to tell me why you harmed yourself. I was weak. I was useless. You were the brave one, letting it all happen to you piece by piece.

"Many things." I compressed all of my feelings into two, dull, mundane words that the average Joe would say.

"Come on, Sakura, none of this was your fault," Sasuke murmured angrily. His eyes were lulling slowly. I looked over my shoulder and saw Itachi still by the door, sighing, leaning on the doorframe. He looked disappointed as he gazed at me dully.

"How do you know that?" I said in a strangled tone of voice.

"Because you were there with me. You defended Kairi and me when we were in trouble," he said bluntly, without hesitation. He gave me something between a grimace of pain and a scowl, which pierced me harder than any of the words he had said earlier. He then gave me a pleading look. "Sa...kura," he said, breathing heavily; I fought back the usual tears. I bit my lip and nodded for him to continue. His voice grew quieter. "...you're the best person I've ever known. And for that, thanks, Cherry..." he whispered, and with that, he lulled into sleepiness.

I brushed some hair off his face and sniffed a little, wiping on my sleeve. I sat on the chair next to his bed, and looked at his peaceful, pale and worn face, wondering what the true feelings behind the mask were.

He hadn't called me 'Cherry' since the first time he became famous.

It made me feel worse.

--

When I woke up, I found out that I was home. Damn it, maybe Itachi drove me home. That idiot...he knew that I didn't like coming home. I woke up on my regular bed, my leg propped up on a pillow, crutches leaning against the computer desk-chair. I was still in my clothes from last night. I gazed over at the alarm clock, and my eyes widened to the size of the moon. "SHIT!" I screamed, noticing the time was half-past nine. I was already half an hour late for school. I jumped out of bed, gasping in pain, grabbing my crutches. I pulled off my clothes, changed my undergarments, and tossed on an old pair of jeans and my red Indy Japan 300 t-shirt, tied in the corner. I quickly brushed my tangled, messy hair, brushed my teeth, took my bag, and limped quickly out the door, grabbing my black sweater. My dad wasn't home, thank God. He probably left late last night.

I took the nearest train to my school, and after a few minutes waiting in line to buy a ticket from the machine, I finally got on; leaning against the chair, breathing heavily. Some people were looking at me oddly in the train, but I didn't give a damn.

Once I reached my station, I limped fast, down two blocks until I reached Konoha High. I knew what class I was in now—crap. Iruka-sensei's language arts class. He would put me in detention for sure. I threw my bag into my locker, grabbed Flowers for Algernon, my pencil case and binder, and dashed to class, my eyes tearing up from the pain in my ankle.

"Haruno-san," Iruka said sternly, sighing and looking at me, arms crossed. He had an Expo Marker in hand, and I think I interrupted something.

"I..." I mumbled. "I'm sorry I'm late, sensei." He sighed, opened his desk drawer, and pulled out a pink slip. I grumbled something under my breath as he signed the Detention Slip, and handed it to me. I snatched it, and limped towards my desk, scowling as I felt twenty pairs of eyes stare at me in bewilderment. Ino-pig was whispering something to Kiba, and they started sniggering quietly. I laid my crutches on the floor beside my desk and pulled out my notebook and began taking notes diligently, trying to ignore all the passed notes and words around me.

"Yamanaka-san!" Iruka-sensei exclaimed. Ino jumped in her seat, holding a folded piece of notebook paper. He stomped over there, grabbed the note, and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "_'That pink-haired idiot is such a bitch.'_"

Damn it. He said 'bitch...' out loud...

"_'Yeah, I know_,' Kiba states," Iruka continued, getting angrier and angrier. "_'I bet she broke her leg trying to kill herself.'_"

I sunk lower into my seat, my face turning a furious red. I hated that group, always talking shit about me behind my back. I just wanted to rip Yamanaka's head off and throw it to the sharks in Tokyo Bay, if they had any. Then I'd feed Kiba to the lions at Ueno Zoo up in Tokyo.

"_'Yeah, that stupid klutz,'_" Iruka ended, outraged. He tore the paper in half and crumpled it, throwing it to the floor. He slammed his hands on Ino's desk, his face red with fury.

"Miss Yamanaka, Mister Inuzuka, all of you involved—I want you ALL to go STRAIGHT to the OFFICE!" he shouted, pulling the door open. It opened with a rattle. Ino's face turned stark-white, and Kiba was shaking madly. The pair, followed by several other people in their group, dashed out the door, and down the hallway. Iruka-sensei slammed the door and sat at his desk, his face in his hands. Half the class was now down at the office, or they skipped class.

"Class dismissed," he growled, and everyone ran out, and as I limped towards the door, he motioned me to his desk.

"Sakura, I don't know what's gotten into you," he said shakily, looking at me with a pleading look as a sat in a desk in front of his.

"..."

I was dead silent. I didn't know what to say.

* * *

Yayes! Chapter three is finally done! I'm sorry it was so short; I've been freaking busy lately. But don't worry, I'll update soon. I hope you enjoyed it, at least. I have left you all with a buddy I call the CLIFFY!

Hmmmm...I wonder if Sakura's going to tell Iruka-sensei about the Sasuke incident...wait until the next chapter!

Review please!


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